SCENT SALIM
DUBAI OUD

2011

Spicy notes
Sweet Amber
Earthy notes
Woody notes

I’ve tried both the attar oil and the extrait de parfum sprayer for Kalimat Oud and in my testing I found their scent to be fairly similar.

Dubai Oud is a style of attar that seems fairly common. In my limited testing of attars, there’s been a couple that it reminded me off. To some extent Fragrance du Bois Mutheer, but mostly to the rare Amouage Eidyya.

In the drydown Dubai Oud really separates itself. The opening is beautiful, but not surprising; soapy prominent rose, some warmth and sweetness and a dose of saffron. I think it sits in between Mutheer and Eidyya at this stage; Mutheer being even more soapy/feminine leaning, Eidyya being a bit more earthy or even skanky; the Scent Salim has just a touch of earthiness.

Later in the wear Dubai Oud heightens all the nuances; it becomes quite sweet and it becomes more spicy (probably more saffron), but I also get a hint of something fruity. The fruitiness is very subtle and I don’t see any notes or nods to it in the description, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if this contained something like pineapple, mango or passionfruit. In general it has a bit more of an acidity, though more in the way a lemon-scented cleaning product, rather than actual citrus. The sweetness becomes more vanilla the more it dries down. All the facets are balanced well, without taking away from the front and center rose.

You can pick up a 12ml for £20, which I think makes this a no-brainer, especially when compared to the Fragrance du Bois or Amouage offerings.